Reviewed by Stephen Luff

This year the finals of the annual brass band championship take place in Stevenage during March and once again, the competition will be fierce if the material presented here is anything to go by. Top of their game ensembles such as Black Dyke Band, The Leyland Band and the Cory Band present pieces such as the rather slow starting "The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea" based around writing a difficult fugue section, the beautifully atmospheric "Mountain Views" with its swirling structure, moving from the gentle to the majestic and presenting the picture of an alpine landscape. Phillip Harper's piece "Olympus" presents the subject with the grandeur of a film soundtrack, while "English Folk Song Suite" with its strident marches, will engage the audience on the night. An elegant showcase of this year's finest.

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